An airline with a uniquely Canadian name – Lynx Air – is set to prowl Canadian airspace in 2022 after launching operations in Calgary yesterday. The former Enerjet will take flight as the country’s newest ultra low-cost carrier and with a stated mission to make Canadian air travel “accessible to all” through low fares and à la carte pricing.

With headquarters in Calgary, the airline carrier will utilize a fleet of brand-new Boeing 737 aircraft, featuring leading-edge fuel-efficient technology. The airline has firm orders and lease agreements in place for a total of 46 aircraft over the next seven years to meet anticipated demand. The first three Boeing 737s will arrive in early 2022.

Routes, schedules, and reservations details will be announced soon, says the airline, which plans to begin with domestic routes, eventually expanding to trans-border and international service.

Lynx,  a Calgary-based charter airline that announced in 2018 that it intended to transform itself into a commercial discount carrier – has some experienced aviation industry players behind it. The privately held company was founded by an investor group headed by Tim Morgan, a former senior executive at WestJet Airlines Ltd.

Heading Lynx will be CEO Merren McArthur, who previously held the same title at ultra low-cost carrier Tigerair Australia and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines, and was founding CEO of Virgin Australia Cargo.

McArthur says that Lynx will operate under the ultra-low-cost carrier model, with passengers offered basic, bare-bones discount fares and then charged extra for additional services like checked bags and cancellations.

“Air fares have traditionally been high here in Canada, and we at Lynx believe there are many Canadians who can’t afford to travel, or can’t afford to travel as much as they want,” McArthur said. “Lynx’s mission is to make air travel accessible to all.”

The ultra-low-cost model has proven popular in Europe and the US, but until very recently, has not had a Canadian imitator. That is changing, though, with Edmonton-based Flair Airlines announcing a major expansion of its own fleet and routes this year. WestJet also offers its own unbundled, lower-fare service called Swoop.

McArthur noted that the airline’s name not only embodied a courageous, efficient, and adaptable spirit, but was a play on the word “links,” which the carrier intended to provide to Canadian people and places.

Boeing Sr. VP Brad McMullen says the low cost of operating its 737 aircraft is an ideal fit for Lynx’s business model.

“Passengers can feel confident in Lynx Air’s choice of modern fleet, knowing this latest generation of aircraft are designed to offer the greatest flexibility, reliability and efficiency in the single-aisle market,” he said.